|   | 
Details
   web
Records
Author (up) Cabello, J.; Etxebeste, A.; Llosa, G.; Ziegler, S.I.
Title Simulation study of PET detector limitations using continuous crystals Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 60 Issue 9 Pages 3673-3694
Keywords continuous crystals; parallax effects; depth of interaction; high resolution; small animal PET
Abstract Continuous crystals can potentially obtain better intrinsic detector spatial resolution compared to pixelated crystals, additionally providing depth of interaction (DoI) information from the light distribution. To achieve high performance sophisticated interaction position estimation algorithms are required. There are a number of algorithms in the literature applied to different crystal dimensions and different photodetectors. However, the different crystal properties and photodetector array geometries have an impact on the algorithm performance. In this work we analysed, through Monte Carlo simulations, different combinations of realistic crystals and photodetector parameters to better understand their influence on the interaction position estimation accuracy, with special emphasis on the DoI. We used an interaction position estimation based on an analytical model for the present work. Different photodetector granulation schemes were investigated. The impact of the number of crystal faces readout by photodetectors was studied by simulating scenarios with one and two photodetectors. In addition, crystals with different levels of reflection and aspect ratios (AR) were analysed. Results showed that the impact of photodetector granularity is mainly shown near the edges and specially in the corners of the crystal. The resulting intrinsic spatial resolution near the centre with a 12 x 12 x 10 mm(3) LYSO crystal was 0.7-0.9 mm, while the average spatial resolution calculated on the entire crystal was 0.77 +/- 0.18 mm for all the simulated geometries with one and two photodetectors. Having front and back photodetectors reduced the DoI bias (Euclidean distance between estimated DoI and real DoI) and improved the transversal resolution near the corners. In scenarios with one photodetector, small AR resulted in DoI inaccuracies for absorbed events at the entrance of the crystal. These inaccuracies were slightly reduced either by increasing the AR or reducing the amount of reflected light, and highly mitigated using two photodetectors. Using one photodetector, we obtained a piecewise DoI error model with a DoI resolution of 0.4-0.9 mm for a 1.2 AR crystal, and we observed that including a second photodetector or reducing the amount of reflections reduced the DoI bias but did not significantly improve the DoI resolution. Translating the piecewise DoI error model obtained in this study to image reconstruction we obtained a spatial resolution variability of 0.39 mm using 85% of the FoV, compared to 2.59 mm and 1.87 mm without DoI correction or with a dual layer system, respectively.
Address [Cabello, Jorge; Ziegler, Sibylle I.] Tech Univ Munich, Klinikum Rechts Isar, Nukl Med Klin & Poliklin, D-80290 Munich, Germany, Email: jorge.cabello@tum.de
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000354104700019 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2226
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Carles, M.; Lerche, C.W.; Sanchez, F.; Mora, F.; Benlloch, J.M.
Title Position correction with depth of interaction information for a small animal PET system Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research A Abbreviated Journal Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A
Volume 648 Issue Pages S176-S180
Keywords DOI; PET; Positioning algorithm; Gamma ray imaging; Continuous scintillators
Abstract In this work we study the effects on the spatial resolution when depth of interaction (001) information is included in the parameterization of the line of response (LOR) for a small animal positron emission tomography (PET) system. One of the most important degrading factors for PET is the parallax error introduced in systems that do not provide DOI information of the recorded gamma-rays. Our group has designed a simple and inexpensive method for DOI determination in continuous scintillation crystals. This method is based, on one hand, in the correlation between the scintillation light distribution width in monolithic crystals and the DOI, and, on the other hand, on a small modification of the widely applied charge dividing circuits (CDR). In this work we present a new system calibration that includes the DOI information, and also the development of the correction equations that relates the LOR without and with DOI information. We report the results obtained for different measurements along the transaxial field of view (FOV) and the image quality enhancement achieved specially at the edge of the FOV.
Address [Carles, M.; Sanchez, F.; Benlloch, J. M.] Inst Fis Corpuscular CSIC UV, Valencia 46071, Spain, Email: montcar@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Science Bv Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-9002 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000305376900046 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1067
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Clinthorne, N.; Brzezinski, K.; Chesi, E.; Cochran, E.; Grkovski, M.; Grosicar, B.; Honscheid, K.; Huh, S.; Kagan, H.; Lacasta, C.; Linhart, V.; Mikuz, M.; Smith, D.S.; Stankova, V.; Studen, A.; Weilhammer, P.; Zontar, D.
Title Silicon as an unconventional detector in positron emission tomography Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research A Abbreviated Journal Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A
Volume 699 Issue Pages 216-220
Keywords PET; Silicon detectors; Multiresolution imaging; Magnifying PET
Abstract Positron emission tomography (PET) is a widely used technique in medical imaging and in studying small animal models of human disease. In the conventional approach, the 511 keV annihilation photons emitted from a patient or small animal are detected by a ring of scintillators such as LYSO read out by arrays of photodetectors. Although this has been successful in achieving similar to 5 mm FWHM spatial resolution in human studies and similar to 1 mm resolution in dedicated small animal instruments, there is interest in significantly improving these figures. Silicon, although its stopping power is modest for 511 keV photons, offers a number of potential advantages over more conventional approaches including the potential for high intrinsic spatial resolution in 3D. To evaluate silicon in a variety of PET “magnifying glass” configurations, an instrument was constructed that consists of an outer partial-ring of PET scintillation detectors into which various arrangements of silicon detectors are inserted to emulate dual-ring or imaging probe geometries. Measurements using the test instrument demonstrated the capability of clearly resolving point sources of Na-22 having a 1.5 mm center-to-center spacing as well as the 1.2 mm rods of a F-18-filled resolution phantom. Although many challenges remain, silicon has potential to become the PET detector of choice when spatial resolution is the primary consideration. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Address [Clinthorne, Neal; Huh, Sam] Univ Michigan, Dept Radiol, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA, Email: nclintho@umich.edu
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Science Bv Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-9002 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000312809200045 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1290
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Etxebeste, A.; Barrio, J.; Bernabeu, J.; Lacasta, C.; Llosa, G.; Muñoz, E.; Ros, A.; Oliver, J.F.
Title Study of sensitivity and resolution for full ring PET prototypes based on continuous crystals and analytical modeling of the light distribution Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 64 Issue 3 Pages 035015 - 17pp
Keywords continuous crystals; NEMA NU 4-2008; positron emission tomography (PET); Monte Carlo simulations; image reconstruction; depth of interaction
Abstract Sensitivity and spatial resolution are the main parameters to maximize in the performance of a PET scanner. For this purpose, detectors consisting of a combination of continuous crystals optically coupled to segmented photodetectors have been employed. With the use of continuous crystals the sensitivity is increased with respect to the pixelated crystals. In addition, spatial resolution is no longer limited to the crystal size. The main drawback is the difficulty in determining the interaction position. In this work, we present the characterization of the performance of a full ring based on cuboid continuous crystals coupled to SiPMs. To this end, we have employed the simulations developed in a previous work for our experimental detector head. Sensitivity could be further enhanced by using tapered crystals. This enhancement is obtained by increasing the solid angle coverage, reducing the wedge-shaped gaps between contiguous detectors. The performance of the scanners based on both crystal geometries was characterized following NEMA NU 4-2008 standardized protocol in order to compare them. An average sensitivity gain over the entire axial field of view of 13.63% has been obtained with tapered geometry while similar performance of the spatial resolution has been proven with both scanners. The activity at which NECR and true peak occur is smaller and the peak value is greater for tapered crystals than for cuboid crystals. Moreover, a higher degree of homogeneity was obtained in the sensitivity map due to the tighter packing of the crystals, which reduces the gaps and results in a better recovery of homogeneous regions than for the cuboid configuration. Some of the results obtained, such as spatial resolution, depend on the interaction position estimation and may vary if other method is employed.
Address [Etxebeste, Ane; Barrio, John; Bernabeu, Jose; Lacasta, Carlos; Llosa, Gabriela; Munoz, Enrique; Ros, Ana; Oliver, Josef F.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, Valencia, Spain, Email: ane.etxebeste@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000457182500004 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3897
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Gillam, J.E.; Solevi, P.; Oliver, J.F.; Casella, C.; Heller, M.; Joram, C.; Rafecas, M.
Title Sensitivity recovery for the AX-PET prototype using inter-crystal scattering events Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 59 Issue 15 Pages 4065-4083
Keywords positron emission tomography (PET); inter-crystal scattering; sensitivity
Abstract The development of novel detection devices and systems such as the AX-positron emission tomography (PET) demonstrator often introduce or increase the measurement of atypical coincidence events such as inter-crystal scattering (ICS). In more standard systems, ICS events often go undetected and the small measured fraction may be ignored. As the measured quantity of such events in the data increases, so too does the importance of considering them during image reconstruction. Generally, treatment of ICS events will attempt to determine which of the possible candidate lines of response (LoRs) correctly determine the annihilation photon trajectory. However, methods of assessment often have low success rates or are computationally demanding. In this investigation alternative approaches are considered. Experimental data was taken using the AX-PET prototype and a NEMA phantom. Three methods of ICS treatment were assessed-each of which considered all possible candidate LoRs during image reconstruction. Maximum likelihood expectation maximization was used in conjunction with both standard (line-like) and novel (V-like in this investigation) detection responses modeled within the system matrix. The investigation assumed that no information other than interaction locations was available to distinguish between candidates, yet the methods assessed all provided means by which such information could be included. In all cases it was shown that the signal to noise ratio is increased using ICS events. However, only one method, which used full modeling of the ICS response in the system matrix-the V-like model-provided enhancement in all figures of merit assessed in this investigation. Finally, the optimal method of ICS incorporation was demonstrated using data from two small animals measured using the AX-PET demonstrator.
Address [Gillam, John E.; Solevi, Paola; Oliver, Josep F.; Rafecas, Magdalena] Univ Valencia, CSIC, IFIC, Valencia, Spain, Email: john.gillam@sydney.edu.au
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000340056800006 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1879
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Gomez-Cadenas, J.J.; Benlloch-Rodriguez, J.M.; Ferrario, P.
Title Monte Carlo study of the coincidence resolving time of a liquid xenon PET scanner, using Cherenkov radiation Type Journal Article
Year 2017 Publication Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 12 Issue Pages P08023 - 13pp
Keywords Cherenkov and transition radiation; Gamma camera; SPECT; PET PET/CT; coronary CT angiography (CTA); Noble liquid detectors (scintillation, ionization, double-phase); Photon detectors for UV; visible and IR photons (solid-state) (PIN diodes, APDs, Si-PMTs, G-APDs, CCDs, EBCCDs, EMCCDs etc)
Abstract In this paper we use detailed Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate that liquid xenon (LXe) can be used to build a Cherenkov-based TOF-PET, with an intrinsic coincidence resolving time (CRT) in the vicinity of 10 ps. This extraordinary performance is due to three facts: a) the abundant emission of Cherenkov photons by liquid xenon; b) the fact that LXe is transparent to Cherenkov light; and c) the fact that the fastest photons in LXe have wavelengths higher than 300 nm, therefore making it possible to separate the detection of scintillation and Cherenkov light. The CRT in a Cherenkov LXe TOF-PET detector is, therefore, dominated by the resolution (time jitter) introduced by the photosensors and the electronics. However, we show that for sufficiently fast photosensors (e.g, an overall 40 ps jitter, which can be achieved by current micro-channel plate photomultipliers) the overall CRT varies between 30 and 55 ps, depending on the detection efficiency. This is still one order of magnitude better than commercial CRT devices and improves by a factor 3 the best CRT obtained with small laboratory prototypes.
Address [Ferrario, P.] CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Calle Catedrat Jose Beltran 2, Valencia 46980, Spain, Email: paola.ferrario@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000414160300006 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3347
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Gomez-Cadenas, J.J.; Benlloch-Rodriguez, J.M.; Ferrario, P.
Title Application of scintillating properties of liquid xenon and silicon photomultiplier technology to medical imaging Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Spectrochimica Acta Part B Abbreviated Journal Spectroc. Acta Pt. B
Volume 118 Issue Pages 6-13
Keywords PET; TOF; Liquid xenon; Energy resolution; High sensitivity; Coincidence resolution time (CRT); SiPMs
Abstract We describe a new positron emission time-of-flight apparatus using liquid xenon. The detector is based in a liquid xenon scintillating cell. The cell shape and dimensions can be optimized depending on the intended application. In its simplest form, the liquid xenon scintillating cell is a box in which two faces are covered by silicon photomultipliers and the others by a reflecting material such as Teflon. It is a compact, homogenous and highly efficient detector which shares many of the desirable properties of monolithic crystals, with the added advantage of high yield and fast scintillation offered by liquid xenon. Our initial studies suggest that good energy and spatial resolution comparable with that achieved by lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystals can be obtained with a detector based in liquid xenon scintillating cells. In addition, the system can potentially achieve an excellent coincidence resolving time of better than 100 ps.
Address [Gomez-Cadenas, J. J.; Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M.; Ferrario, Paola] Univ Valencia, CSIC, IFIC, E-46003 Valencia, Spain, Email: gomez@mail.cern.ch
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0584-8547 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000374073300002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2631
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Gomez-Cadenas, J.J.; Benlloch-Rodriguez, J.M.; Ferrario, P.; Monrabal, F.; Rodriguez, J.; Toledo, J.F.
Title Investigation of the coincidence resolving time performance of a PET scanner based on liquid xenon: a Monte Carlo study Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 11 Issue Pages P09011 - 18pp
Keywords Gamma camera; SPECT; PET PET/CT; coronary CT angiography (CTA); Instrumentation and methods for time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy; Noble liquid detectors (scintillation ionization, double-phase); Scintillators; scintillation and light emission processes (solid, gas and liquid scintillators)
Abstract The measurement of the time of flight of the two 511 keV gammas recorded in coincidence in a PET scanner provides an effective way of reducing the random background and therefore increases the scanner sensitivity, provided that the coincidence resolving time (CRT) of the gammas is sufficiently good. The best commercial PET-TOF system today (based in LYSO crystals and digital SiPMs), is the VEREOS of Philips, boasting a CRT of 316 ps (FWHM). In this paper we present a Monte Carlo investigation of the CRT performance of a PET scanner exploiting the scintillating properties of liquid xenon. We find that an excellent CRT of 70 ps (depending on the PDE of the sensor) can be obtained if the scanner is instrumented with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) sensitive to the ultraviolet light emitted by xenon. Alternatively, a CRT of 160 ps can be obtained instrumenting the scanner with (much cheaper) blue-sensitive SiPMs coated with a suitable wavelength shifter. These results show the excellent time of flight capabilities of a PET device based in liquid xenon.
Address [Gomez-Cadenas, J. J.; Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M.; Ferrario, P.; Rodriguez, J.] CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Calle Catedrat Jose Beltran 2, Valencia 46980, Spain, Email: paola.ferrario@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000387862300011 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2866
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Grkovski, M.; Brzezinski, K.; Cindro, V.; Clinthorne, N.H.; Kagan, H.; Lacasta, C.; Mikuz, M.; Solaz, C.; Studen, A.; Weilhammer, P.; Zontar, D.
Title Evaluation of a high resolution silicon PET insert module Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research A Abbreviated Journal Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A
Volume 788 Issue Pages 86-94
Keywords Positron emission tomography; Silicon detectors; PET insert; Image reconstruction
Abstract Conventional PET systems can be augmented with additional detectors placed in close proximity of the region of interest. We developed a high resolution PET insert module to evaluate the added benefit of such a combination. The insert module consists of two back-to-back 1 mm thick silicon sensors, each segmented into 1040 1 mm(2) pads arranged in a 40 by 26 array. A set of 16 VATAGP7.1 ASICs and a custom assembled data acquisition board were used to read out the signal from the insert module. Data were acquired in slice (20) geometry with a Jaszczak phantom (rod diameters of 12-4.8 mm) Filled with F-18-FDG and the images were reconstructed with ML-EM method. Both data with full and limited angular coverage from the insert module were considered and three types of coincidence events were combined. The ratio of high-resolution data that substantially improves quality of the reconstructed image for the region near the surface of the insert module was estimated to be about 4%. Results from our previous studies suggest that such ratio could be achieved at a moderate technological expense by using an equivalent of two insert modules (an effective sensor thickness of 4 mm).
Address [Grkovski, Milan; Cindro, Vladimir; Mikuz, Marko; Studen, Andrej; Zontar, Dejan] Jozef Stefan Inst, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Email: milan.grkovski@ijs.si
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Science Bv Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-9002 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000354870700016 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2232
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Koolen, B.B.; Vidal-Sicart, S.; Benlloch, J.M.; Olmos, R.A.V.
Title Evaluating heterogeneity of primary tumor 18 F-FDG uptake in breast cancer with a dedicated breast PET ( MAMMI): a feasibility study based on correlation with PET/CT Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Nuclear Medicine Communications Abbreviated Journal Nucl. Med. Commun.
Volume 35 Issue 5 Pages 446-452
Keywords breast cancer; F-18-FDG; heterogeneity; MAMMI; PET
Abstract PurposeThe aim of the study was to evaluate the heterogeneity of primary tumor F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) uptake in breast cancer patients using a dedicated breast PET.Patients and methodsA positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) of the thorax was performed 60 min after administration of 180-240 MBq of F-18-FDG in patients with breast cancer. Subsequently, 110 min after injection, a scan was taken with a dedicated high-resolution breast PET [MAMmography with Molecular Imaging (MAMMI)]. Both procedures were performed with the patients in the prone position. Four-point scores were used to compare the intensity (0: none; 1: mild; 2: moderate; 3: high) and heterogeneity (0: none; 1: mild; 2: moderate; 3: high) of F-18-FDG uptake between PET/CT and MAMMI images.ResultsThirty-five patients in whom the primary tumor was visualized on both scans were included in this analysis. The mean primary tumor size was 35.1 mm (range 10-108 mm). The mean intensity score was similar on both devices (2.4 for PET/CT and 2.3 for MAMMI; P=0.439), but the mean heterogeneity score on MAMMI images was significantly higher (PET/CT 1.9 vs. MAMMI 2.3; P=0.005). MAMMI showed a higher heterogeneity score in 11 (31%) of 35 patients, especially in tumors with moderate or high intensity. Significantly higher heterogeneity scores on both PET/CT and MAMMI were seen in large tumors (P=0.005 and 0.014, respectively) and in tumors with high intensity scores (P=0.012 and P<0.001, respectively).ConclusionHeterogeneous tumor F-18-FDG uptake in breast cancer is frequently observed, particularly in large tumors with intense F-18-FDG uptake. It is more often seen on MAMMI PET than on conventional PET/CT. Although the observed heterogeneity should be proven histopathologically, this finding offers a rationale for F-18-FDG-guided biopsies.
Address [Koolen, Bas B.; Vidal-Sicart, Sergi; Olmos, Renato A. Valdes] Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hosp, Netherlands Canc Inst, Dept Nucl Med, NL-1066 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands, Email: b.koolen@nki.nl
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0143-3636 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000334103800002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1763
Permanent link to this record